The invention relates to a control and safety device for an externally powered automatic weapon comprising a motor, electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic for example, to drive moving parts that supply the weapon with ammunition, fire the ammunition, and eject the shells after firing the ammunition, at a rate which may be relatively high, for example on the order of several hundred rounds per minute.
In self-powered automatic weapons, the energy necessary for operation is supplied either by the ammunition itself when it is fired (by tapping gas), or by the recoil of the weapon, and automatic safety is conferred by the fact that, as long as no ammunition is fired, no energy is available to actuate the moving parts of the weapon.
On the contrary, in the case of an externally powered weapon, movement of the moving parts is independent of ammunition firing, and special means must be provided to lock the moving parts, preventing, for example, opening of the bolt mechanism for a specific time interval when ammunition has not operated correctly after firing ("hang fire" safety device).
For this purpose, means are provided to lock the moving parts of the weapon when ammunition is fed, and unlocking of these moving parts being ensured automatically when ammunition is fired (by tapping gas or by the recoil of the weapon). If the ammunition does not function, the moving parts of the weapon remain locked and the weapon must be reset to eject the unfired ammunition and resume firing.
Hence, externally powered automatic weapons are generally equipped both with a firing control system comprising at least one actuator and an element which stops or locks the moving parts of the weapon, and with a "hang fire" safety system which also comprises an actuator and an element which stops or locks the moving parts of the weapon.